The UK’s RATTLESNAKES proudly release their cover of Saxon’s iconic track, “And The Bands Played On.” The new cover arrives alongside an official visualizer, available below.
Heavy Metal legends Saxon wrote the “And The Bands Played On” anthem (from the ‘Denim and Leather’ album, 1981) inspired by their live appearance at the first Monsters of Rock festival on August 16, 1980 at Donington Park, where the band was met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic crowd response.
RATTLESNAKES shares:
“‘And The Bands Played On’ is a song that collectively created a plethora of joyous memories for us all in RATTLESNAKES! The reason we chose to cover this song was also because of the similarities in genre and style we both have and our love for vocal harmonies, which is something very prevalent in this song. We wanted to put our spin on this awesome track by emphasizing that! This band has never failed to inspire us in RATTLESNAKES and we hope to honor and bring light upon The Mighty Saxon for the younger generations of rockers by carrying the everlasting torch of HEAVY METAL THUNDER!”
The band is currently demoing material for their full length debut album, and with it’s wrath filled riffing and commanding vocals, will undeniably make you head bang and generate impassioned sing alongs.
Check RATTLESNAKES out live with label fellows Struck A Nerve and Devastator at London Cart and Horses on May 3rd, 2026.
Finnish symphonic melodic death metal band Inthraced are set to release their long-awaited debut album ‘Constellation Zero’ on May 15th 2026 via Inverse Records. The last single, title track Constellation Zero is unleashed today and it is available on all major streaming platforms: https://push.fm/fl/inthraced-constellation
The band comments:
“The album’s title track. A cold, cosmic, and sci-fi-like atmosphere.”
–Composed by Tommi Takkunen & Mirko Byman –Lyrics by Tommi Takkunen & Tuomas Lautanen –ISRC: FIRNX2500005 –Cover art by Robert H, Holo Dreamz
Constellation Zero Track list:
The Revenant
Neon Frontiers
The Black Star
Darkest Chest
Constellation Zero
The Way Of The Voice
Lost Divinity
–Mixed by Janne Korpela JK mixing studios Finland –Mastered by Mika Jussila @ Finnvox studios Finland –Cover art by Robert H, Holo Dreamz
Inthraced is a Finnish metal band founded in 2011, blending melodic intensity with cosmic darkness to forge a distinct and powerful soundscape. Their early releases, “The New Awakening” (2012) and “The Rising Chaos” (2014), set the foundation for their rise, further amplified by the 2019 single “Interstellar.”
In 2022, the band was reborn with a new guitarist and bassist, igniting the creative fire behind their debut album “Constellation Zero” — an epic and ambitious journey that carries the listener to the very edges of the universe.
Line-up: Tommi Takkunen – Guitar & Vocals Mirko Byman – Guitar Eetu Kovapohja – Bass Antti Ikonen – Drums
KHEMMIS returns! Denver’s colossal heavy metal band is back with their massively anticipated fifth album, due out June 12th via Nuclear Blast Records. The self-titled record — the follow-up to 2021’s heralded Deceiver — represents KHEMMIS in their truest form: disciples of the riff. Adorned with artwork from Christopher Remmers and featuring eight tracks of unadulterated, monolithic metal, Khemmis is a celebration of heavy music, bound by the camaraderie and shared passion that was reignited during its recording.
Commenting on the impending album, guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson states:
“We decided early in the songwriting process that we wanted to write a tight, high-energy album that retained the essential ‘Khemmis sound’ while also embodying the joy of creating, experiencing, and loving heavy metal. Ours have always been deeply personal songs born from tragedy and sorrow; while the songs on Khemmis are still undeniably dark—I don’t think we’re capable of writing ‘happy’ music nor can we disentangle our music from our own personal experiences—they are not mined from our suffering. Instead, this record is a celebration of the music world that has sustained us, both individually and collectively, and has also gifted us with community and a sense of meaning. In many ways, we have reconnected with the energy and excitement from our earliest days as a band, an unabashed desire to play loud, heavy music. That exuberance is infused with a profound sense of gratitude to be able to create art with each other and to share it with the world.”
Without further ado, KHEMMIS has revealed the album’s lead track and first single, “Invocation of the Dreamer,” which is accompanied by a music video directed by Frank Guerra.
Adding about the new song, Hutcherson says:
“We knew that this song had to be the first single in much the same way we knew it had to be the album opener—it is an undeniable ripper. “Invocation of the Dreamer” kicks the front door in, flips over your coffee table, and sets your living room on fire. It has everything you’d expect from a Khemmis song—big riffs, harmonized guitars, infectious vocal melodies—along with a slew of surprises, including blastbeats and a scorching bass break.”
KHEMMIS will perform a special one-off show with ACID BATH in May before embarking on a headlining tour in early summer with support from NECROFIER and WRETCHED, followed by an excursion with MONOLORD soon after. Tickets are available at: https://khemmisdoom.com/live/
Khemmisis available for pre-order now, including a ‘Deluxe Edition’ of the record offered by the band, which features exclusive extras—a behind-the-scenes photobook, an autographed promo photo, and more—directly from their website.
W / ACID BATH & CHAT PILE May 16 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
Forsake The Light Headline Tour w / NECROFIER & WRETCHED June 19 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater June 20 – Seattle, WA – Substation June 21 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater June 23 – Sacramento, CA – Starlet Room June 24 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone June 25 – Santa Cruz, CA – Felton Music Hall June 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room June 27 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick June 28 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s June 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Nile Theater July 1 – Cottonwood, AZ – Queen B July 2 – Albuquerque, NM – Sister
W / MONOLORD Aug 27 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall Aug 28 – Louisville, KY – Portal Aug 29 – Atlanta, GA – Garden Club Aug 30 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy Aug 31 – Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern Sep 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts Sep 3 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere Sep 5 – Baltimore, MD – Labor Daze Sep 8 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups Sep 9 – Detroit, MI – Sanctuary Sep 10 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle
About KHEMMIS:
After eleven years of albums and global touring, Colorado’s Khemmis have cemented themselves as pillars of modern heavy metal. Yet as they approach their fifth full-length, the band found something newly vital: the simple joy of creating heavy music together. Formed with no expectations, the group’s longevity has become its foundation, with guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson describing the band as a rare source of stability and camaraderie. Since their 2015 debut Absolution, followed by the acclaimed Hunted, Desolation, Doomed Heavy Metal MLP, and Deceiver, Khemmis have built a legacy of towering, spiritual doom that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.
Despite changes—including members relocating and bassist David Small joining in 2022—the band emerged more focused than ever. Recording again at Flatline Audio in Colorado, the lineup of Hutcherson, Phil Pendergast, Zach Coleman, and Small leaned into renewed trust and chemistry, with distance paradoxically strengthening their bond. The addition of Small invigorated the rhythm section and encouraged experimentation, while the band rediscovered the excitement that defined their early days. That renewed energy fueled a collaborative atmosphere rooted in confidence, inspiration, and the shared thrill of simply playing heavy metal.
The resulting self-titled album is both a celebration and reinvention: a conceptually framed ritual of heavy metal that moves from the pounding “Invocation of the Dreamer” to the climactic “Benediction Tones,” balancing galloping aggression with emotionally resonant anthems. The record embraces extremity, catharsis, and joy in equal measure, complemented by new visual direction from artist Christopher Remmers. Through lineup changes, distance, and a shifting world, Khemmis remain unshaken—leaning into the music that defines them. Their self-titled album arrives June 12th, 2026 via Nuclear Blast, capturing the band in their truest and most energized form.
British metal heavy weights CONJURER have unveiled a new live video for ‘The Searing Glow‘, recorded at their sold-out November 2025 London headline show at The Underworld.
The band comment: “Headlining, let alone selling out, The Underworld was one of the last milestones we had left for this band. From seeing Yob level the place on September 8th 2014 and deciding that night that we had to make this band happen, it’s been a long time coming. Naturally, we’d want to document the occasion so we enlisted our trusty videographer Joe Guppy to get some multicam footage and here it is: ‘The Searing Glow’, from our album Unself, live at The Underworld, London.”
Catch CONJURER on tour in the UK, EU, and North America this year:
UK 13/06/2026 Donington, UK @ Download Festival 22/08/2026 Bristol, UK @ ArcTanGent Festival
EU 14/05/2026 Alkmaar, NL @ Hal 25 15/05/2026 Leeuwarden, NL @ Neushoorn 16/05/2026 Brussels, BE @ La Botanique 17/05/2026 Tilburg, NL @ Little Devil 19/06/2026 Clisson, FR @ Hellfest 27/06/2026 Bourlon, FR @ Rock In Bourlon 08/08/2026 Josefov, CZ @ Brutal Assault
NORTH AMERICA w/ Sadness, Snooze, & Pains 05/22/2026 US NY New York City @ The Meadows 05/23/2026 US ME Portland @ Geno’s Rock Club 05/24/2026 US MA Boston @ The Rockwell 05/26/2026 US RI Providence @ Alchemy 05/27/2026 CAN QC Montreal @ Cabaret Foufs 05/28/2026 CAN ON Ottawa @Dominion Tavern 05/29/2026 CAN ON Toronto @ Prepare The Ground 05/30/2026 US OH Columbus @ Donatos Basement 05/31/2026 US IL Chicago @ Sleeping Village 06/01/2026 US IN Indianapolis @ Black Circle 06/02/2026 US KY Louisville @ Portal 06/03/2026 US TN Nashville @ DRKMTTR 06/04/2026 US GA Atlanta @ Boggs Social & Supply 06/05/2026 US NC Raleigh @ Chapel Of Bones 06/06/2026 US MD Baltimore @ Motown Ballroom
06/07/2026 US PA Philadelphia @ Kung Fu Necktie
CONJURER have evolved radically since the release of their debut album (Mire, 2018), and their second release (Páthos, 2022) saw them lauded among the most exciting British metal bands. Whilst award nominations and accolades accumulated, the four-piece band retained their very simple mission: to make heavy music and have fun whilst doing so. Preferring to use their spotlight to showcase technicality and musicality rather than centring politics or opinions, CONJURER lived in the moment and embraced everything that came their way.
Within the tumult of forging a renewed identity as a band, on Unself there is a more intense, more personal voyage of discovery unfurling for vocalist/guitarist Dani Nightingale. Diagnosed with autism at age 31, their long-held view of self, and perception of their place in the world began to unravel. Unself documents much of the piecing back together around the diagnosis, alongside the realisation they were non-binary.
These vignettes of processing and self-actualisation take place against the backdrop of a society careening towards glassy-eyed capitalist dystopia; finding firm footing eludes many of us – and CONJURER delve headfirst into exploring these suffocating new societal parameters.
Within Unself‘s nine tracks, CONJURER deliver the writhing post-metal sound they’ve become known for, but have loosened their grip on the desire to fill every moment with sonic obliteration. Instead, they have leaned into utilising space, gifting listeners a little breathing room which serves to make the heavy elements feel all the more intense.
A more direct, organic approach to songwriting was facilitated by the ever-strengthening bonds within the band, and the supportive environment created by producer Joe Clayton. Allowing themselves more time than with any previous recording experience, they committed to preproduction sessions, followed by an elongated recording period in order to do justice to the material they had crafted. Stripping back the excesses of previous outings to reveal their solid songwriting chops allowed for more clarity and more dynamics to shine through. To their ears, the mood, the core of the lyrical content and the music are more aligned than ever before.
This record is the sound of four individuals living with more purpose and as a consequence creating with more purpose. Unself sees them reaching out to offer community, catharsis and connection. CONJURER remain true to their original mission – they’re still having fun, playing interesting heavy music – but now that music is imbued with the power that comes from opening themselves up to others, at first within the band, and now beyond.
GRIM PROPHECY release today their new single “Licantropia”, now available on all digital platforms via Volcano Records & Promotion.
Hailing from Sardinia, an ancient and mysterious land that seems to echo through the depths of their sound, Grim Prophecy deliver a track that embodies the most visceral essence of thrash/death metal. “Licantropia” is an explosion of dark energy, a sonic transformation that moves through aggression, narrative tension and a powerful, unsettling imagery.
Written by Emanuele Pes for the music and Alessandro Cau for the lyrics, the song unfolds over more than four minutes of pure intensity, alternating tight riffs and shadowy atmospheres that evoke the conflict between human nature and primal instinct. Lycanthropy thus becomes a metaphor for loss of control, for an identity that breaks apart and reassembles itself into something fiercer, more authentic, more free. The band’s Sardinian identity is not merely geographical, but deeply cultural: within their sound one can perceive an ancestral tension, a call to the land, to roots, to an archaic imagery that blends perfectly with the extreme sounds of contemporary metal. The result is an intense and immersive listening experience, capable of transporting the listener into a dark and ritualistic universe.
The single is available on Spotify, Apple Music and all major digital platforms, and the release is also accompanied by an intense and visionary official music video — a journey through instinct, darkness and transformation — now available on YouTube:
While faithful worshipers of the almighty riff, Dopelord are addicted to more than just the devil’s lettuce. Since budding out of Lublin in 2010, the Polish band have led children of the haze further down the left hand path. On their fourth album, Sign of the Devil, they blew the gates of hell wide open with magickal stoner-doom.
“Primo weedian stoner sludge doom of precisely the proportion-of-riff one would expect from Polish bashers Dopelord”, The Obelisk wrote in 2020 upon the release of Sign of the Devil.
Having just wrapped a smoking European tour with Napalm Death, today, as they prepare to return to the road with Monolord, Dopelord are excited to announce that their new label home Season of Mist is reissuing Sign of the Devil.
“We had just moved to our new rehearsal space”, Dopelord bassist and vocalist Piotr Zin remembers about Sign of the Devil. “Piotr Ochociński, our drummer, had just joined the band. There was some pressure going into the album. A long tour was booked right after it was scheduled to come out, which happened to be March 11, 2020. Either way, Sign of the Devil is definitely one of our strongest albums. We still very much enjoy playing these tunes live”.
Sign of the Devil carries all the marks of Dopelord. As they profess during the heavy psychedelic enchantment of “Doom Bastards”, this band take heathenish pride in crafting slow songs with loud amps and caveman riffs. With Behemoth producer Haldor Grunberg twisting the knobs, their hypnotic grooves and faith-shaking fuzz ring loud and clear on weed cult favorite “The Witching Hour Bell”.
“Hail Satan!”, Dopelord proclaim during a chorus so catchy that it haunts the haziest dreams.
On Sign of the Devil, Dopelord summon stoner-doom that truly raises horns.
October 6 – Hamburg, Germany @ Bahnhof Pauli October 7 – Haarlem, Netherlands @ Patronaat October 8 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenaar October 9 – Sinkt-Niklaas, Belgium @ De Casino October 10 – Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie October 11 – Nantes, France @ Le ferrailleur October 12 – Toulouse, France @ Le Rex October 13 – Lyon, France @ Jack Jack October 14 – Aarau, Switzerland @ KIFF October 15 – Munich, Germany @ Backstage October 16 – Osnabrück, Germany @ Bastard Club October 17 – Cologne, Germany @ Gebaude 9
Dopelord is a Polish doom metal band formed in 2010 in Lublin. They’ve released five full-length albums: Magic Rites (2012), Black Arts, Riff Worship & Weed Cult (2014), Children of the Haze (2017), Sign of the Devil (2020) and Songs for Satan(2023). Their music is characterized by a heavy, psychedelic sound with clear stoner metal influences and lyrics that often refer to occultism, drugs and dark fantasy.
The band has gained international recognition for their energetic live shows, catchy riffs and haunting choruses. The band regularly tours in Poland and abroad. They’ve performed at many prestigious festivals, including Desertfest (London, Berlin and Antwerp), Metal Days Slovenia, Rockstadt Extreme, Brutal Assault, SWR Barroselas Metalfest, Tolminator, Helldorado Eindhoven and Mystic Festival. In 2019, they toured with doom legends Saint Vitus.
Dopelord are busy crafting full-length album number 6(66). When they’re not lighting up the studio, the band are out rolling the road with their hazy magick ritual. In 2025, they celebrated their 15th anniversary with a return to London’s Desertfest and five shows across their native Poland. They also joined legendary tokers Orange Goblin for the English heavies final show in Finland before kicking off 2026 by touring across Europe with Napalm Death.
Lineup Paweł Mioduchowski – Guitar, Vocals Piotr Zin – Bass, Vocals Grzegorz Pawłowski – Guitars Piotr Ochociński – Drums
Production credits Recorded at Tall Pine Records and Nebula Studio in February 2020 Recorded, mixed and mastered by Haldor Grunberg
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
